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April 10, 2014

Blogging From A to Z Day 9: I is for Incubus

There are also succubus, which flip flops the sexes

For the month of April I will be participating in the
Blogging From A to Z Challenge. Learn more about the challenge by clicking
here. Each day (except Sundays) I will be posting a theme based on each letter
of the alphabet. This blog is covering paranormal topics for the month. To read
my automotive blog posts for the challenge, click here.

Everyone has heard the term incubus (and if you haven't, now's not the time to admit it and be embarrassed in front of the group. Kidding. Not kidding). The term is thrown around all of the time. There is even a band named Incubus, one that I happen to really like. In any case, like so many paranormal terms, your average person really doesn't understand the word but is too scared to ask.

To be bluntly direct, in a classic sense an incubus is a male demon that has sex with mortal women. Why would a demon do that, other than the obvious? Most tales indicate that the demon is trying to father a child. Supposedly, Merlin (you know, of Arthurian legend) was conceived this way. Weird, I know, but that's apparently how he got his powers.

There are a number of incubus out there and they use different tricks to seduce women, with smooth jazz and chocolates being one of the most common. In all seriousness, though, some people believe that repeated sexual intercourse with an incubus can have serious health consequences, or might even result in the incubus saying he'll call and then disappearing from the face of the Earth.

About the only example from current popular culture of an incubus encounter is from Hemlock Grove. Oh, and there was an episode in the X-Files that featured an incubus that Mulder was tracking down. I'll say no more so I don't spoil anything for anyone.

Did you ever watch the movie Constantine? If not, I won't give too much away, but I believe that all of the "half demons" that walked among us must have been the product of what you are talking about here.